If he was a draft dodger, why wasn't he arrested? One of his deferments was parental, but then that wasn't a valid post, I suppose. If the government tells you that you can get a deferment because you are a parent, I think it takes a pretty tough code of honor to tell the government that you can't accept that. Heck, I imagine it might have been a financial consideration. If a parent dies, does the military budget help support the child? And if a sergeant on the battlefield puts a childless man up ahead of the daddy on the field, is that immoral? Maybe the sergeant doesn't want to see a mourning child when he gets home.
I'm not saying the government was right to make the rules the way they are. I'm just pointing out the arguments that can be made to justify what Cheney was thinking.
A parent doesn't always put country above family. I know they should. But I, myself, won't judge him.
As for Hackworth, he's been out there for a while. He once suggested nuking sites that weren't open to inspection. He steps into things because he doesn't think them through. Where did his keen tactical mind go?
I ALMOST agree with Hack on how to treat sites the inspectors are denied entry to: Instead of nuking them, though, if Iraq says "No" when the inspectors knock on a site, then one hour later a half-dozen cruise missiles come down and eradicate the place. Period. No exceptions. One chance then it's gone. Which would also eliminate Dubya's excuse for attacking saddam. No further need. So he could focus on what's IMPORTANT: The actual terrorists and their ultimate backer, which I believe could be China.